As a finance apprentice you’ll enter a specialist profession where you’ll gain invaluable experience and skills and set strong foundations for the rest of your career.

The programme offers a unique opportunity to make a difference, to contribute to strong financial management within government and to help ensure we provide value for money for the taxpayer. Alongside your exciting and challenging day job, you’ll also be studying for a level 4 finance qualification.

This is a two-year Level 4 higher apprenticeship with a salary between £19,500 and £27,000 (£22,000 minimum in London). What you’ll do
As a finance apprentice you could undertake a number of roles including:

finance analyst

accounts executive

control officer

costs budget manager

The placements could involve:

producing monthly management reports

compiling finance instructions for budgets

providing financial guidance on business cases

collating actual costs

What you’ll learn

You’ll take the Level 4 professional accountant and taxation technician standard.

The learning programme lasts for approximately 2 years and you’ll spend roughly 80% of the time in your role, and 20% doing classroom training, online learning, assignments, and working towards your portfolio. You’ll have a mentor and an assessor to help you get through your qualification.

Whilst you’ll get some study leave you will also be expected to study a lot in your own time, particularly around exam time and when you have assignments and portfolio evidence to submit.

Where you’ll work
In 2017, the finance apprenticeship scheme will be running in the following locations:

Andover

Blackpool

Bristol

Corsham

Croydon

East Kilbride

High Wycombe

Leeds

London

Newcastle

Sheffield

Southend

Worthing

York

Depending on which location you choose, finance apprentices work across the country in a range of departments including:

Ministry of Defence

Department for Work and Pensions

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs

Cabinet Office

Department of Business, Industry and Skills

Department for Transport

Department for International Development

Rural Payments Agency

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for apprentices who are:

curious and ask questions

committed to their own career and development

team players

self-motivated with drive and determination

Entry requirements
You’ll need 5 GCSEs, at grades C and above, or the new grade 4 and above, including English Language and Maths, or equivalent. (Or expect to have these qualifications by 31 August 2017.)

You’ll also need to check you meet the general entry requirements, such as age, nationality and residency.

After the apprenticeship
After successfully completing the scheme you’ll have opportunities for promotion across a range of flexible career paths. You could become a key decision maker, partnering the business and shaping the way government works – having involvement in both development and provision of front-line services and finance policies that affect the public.

Once you’ve successfully completed your apprenticeship, you’ll be eligible to apply without a degree for the Fast Stream. This is the Civil Service’s prestigious graduate development programme which prepares participants for leadership roles within the organisation.